• Premier League

Duff weighs up summer switch to MLS

Damien Duff admits that Robbie Keane has given him the hard sell over a move to the MLS this summer © Getty Images

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Fulham winger Damien Duff has confirmed he will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer, and is considering a move to America's MLS before a swansong in Ireland.

The success of Duff's long-time international team-mate Robbie Keane at LA Galaxy has led the 35-year-old winger to consider a spell in the US or the Australian A-League before he ends his career in the League of Ireland.

"I've looked at the Australia or America thing for a bit, it would be a different way of life, a different league," Duff told the Irish Times.

"I think life's too short just to be stuck in the rat race, if that's the right phrase, over here so I'd maybe like to taste something new before I go back home."

Injuries have prevented Duff from making regular appearances for Fulham of late, but he is convinced he would still have something to offer in the MLS, and admitted that Ireland striker Keane has been encouraging him to make the move.

"We've had a bit of banter alright," says Duff of fellow Dublin native Keane. "He obviously loves it [at LA Galaxy] and every six months I see he's signed a new deal so he'll be there for a good while yet.

"We'll see what happens but I wouldn't mind trying it to be fair but I have to get back fit first. I've got a screw in my knee now and a screw in the knee of a jinky winger doesn't really go hand in hand, but we'll see what happens.

"We'd be up for it and we'd like to see the world but it wouldn't be for a jolly up. I'm still as hungry as ever."

Duff maintained that his long-standing desire to finish his playing days in the League of Ireland remains the plan for the end of his playing days, but he hopes there are still two chapters left in a career that has saw him collect two Premier League titles at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.

"Everybody knows I want to go back and play in Ireland, but whether that's this summer I don't know," he added. "My body feels good so I'd like to do a year or two elsewhere first."

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